|
Porto Alegre, Brazil, January 27,
2003
massive rally today shows widespread
opposition to free trade area of the americas
(ftaa)
Today thousands of people marched through
Porto Alegre to protest the proposed Free
Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA), one day
before the end of the 3rd World Social Forum
(1) here.
Civil society groups are speeding up their
mobilization against the controversial FTAA
(ALCA in Spanish), a corporate-driven project
that might get started as early as 2005, with
massive potential consequences on the Latin
American people and environment.
"Under the FTAA companies would be able to
bring States to court if environmental and
social laws go against their interests,"
warned Ricardo Navarro, Salvadorean chair of
Friends of the Earth International, today.
(2)
'The establishement of the FTAA would
grant to transnational corporations
monopolistic rights on territory, services
and life itself,' said Karin Nansen of REDES
- Friends of the Earth Uruguay.
Friends of the Earth International, the
world's largest international grassroots
environmental network representing one
million people in 68 countries is one among
hundreds of organisations represented at
today's rally.
For more information please call in Porto
Alegre (until January 29):
Ricardo Navarro, Friends of the Earth
International Chair (English, Spanish):
+55-51-92138163 (Brazilian mobile).
Karin Nansen, REDES - Friends of the Earth
Uruguay: (Spanish, English): +55-51-92137595
(Brazilian mobile).
Or Friends of the Earth International (FoEI)
media coordinator: Niccolo Sarno (English,
French, Spanish, Italian): +55-51-92138116
(Brazilian mobile).
Notes to editors:
(1)www.worldsocialforum.org
(2)www.foei.org
|
